Lies, Truths, Silence
by PortalPanda
Summary: Warning: Contains major spoilers for A Single Pale Rose. Rose Quartz lied about everything. The Crystal Gems react.
1. Lies

Sapphire cringed at the chime of the warp pad behind her, and tried to make herself look smaller as she sat on the steps of the twice ruined ruins. Of _course_ Ruby would know where to find her. They had spent thousands of years sharing the same mind.

And this was where they had met.

" _Sapphire!"_

Ruby's voice rang out across the ruins: pained, and worried, and desperate. Sapphire couldn't exactly blame her: being alone after thousands of years of fusion felt achingly lonely. As if what they had just learned didn't make them feel isolated enough.

Maybe that was why she answered.

"Go away, Ruby."

Sapphire's voice was soft and strained, but Ruby heard her. When she responded she sounded much calmer (relieved), though her footsteps were hurried and clumsy as she followed the sound of her voice.

"What happened to all that stuff about forgiveness, and anger being pointless?" Ruby joked weakly.

She found Sapphire sitting on the steps of the ruins, behind the main arena. Her head hung so that her gaze was fixed on her lap, where her hands were clasped together. Ruby sat down on the step beside her, leaving a gap so that Sapphire had some space.

And there they sat beneath a crumbling pink diamond.

Sapphire sat frozen, the ice around her gleaming dangerously, and her voice matched.

"This is different."

"Why?"

" _Because-"_ Ruby noted with alarm that the ice patch beside her was growing. "Rose lied to us about everything." She turned to face Ruby, but her eye was hidden and her expression was stoic. "What if she lied about fusion, too?"

Ruby froze.

"What?"

Sapphire's gaze returned to her lap. The ice continued to spread.

"She was the only one who thought it was okay. And she lied about everything else." Sapphire clenched her fists until her gem hurt. Her voice broke. "What if it's _not_ okay? What if we made a mistake?"

Ruby's heart shattered, along with the ice next to her as Sapphire sobbed.

" _Sapphire,"_ Ruby reached for her but she turned away, hiding her face in her hands.

" _I'm sorry!"_

She shouldn't have said that.

"No," Ruby held Sapphire at arms length, and gently brushed her hair out of her eye. Her hands were shaking. "Sapphire, do you think Garnet was a mistake?"

" _No!"_ Sapphire sounded angry now, though her anger was directed at herself. She looked at Ruby desperately, and her voice matched. " _I'm sorry._ I shouldn't have said that. _I love you._ More than anything." Sapphire's voice turned quiet as she slid her hands into Ruby's. "But I can't help but remember- the way Rose looked at us. The first time she saw Garnet." She smiled brokenly through tears. "She looked so _proud_." Sapphire closed her eye. "Everyone told us we were wrong. She was the only person-" Her voice wavered as her gaze met Ruby's. "Was that a lie, too?"

"I don't know." Ruby looked down at their hands. "I don't know… but I don't think Rose lied to us about _everything_ , Sapph." Ruby smiled weakly. "She loved the Earth. She still gave up everything to protect this planet."

Sapphire shook her head.

"But she lied to everyone who followed her. We _all_ gave up everything, Ruby. And everyone else-" They both remembered the blinding white flash. "We paid for it."

"I know." Ruby suddenly felt small (even smaller than she was). "But Rose did too, didn't she? She didn't know that the diamonds-" Ruby shook her head. "She didn't know that would happen. And I'm sure she felt responsible. They were her friends too, Sapphire. They were her _family_."

"They were _our_ family." Sapphire choked. "They died for her. Because of her. And she _lied_ to them."

"Because it was her planet." Ruby said gently. "Rose wanted all of us to be free. If we knew she was a diamond- if all the other gems knew- they wouldn't have followed her because they _wanted_ to, they would've followed her because they felt like they _had_ to. She wanted to give them a choice." Ruby squeezed Sapphire's hands. "That's more than Homeworld ever did."

They sat in silence for a long time, Sapphire's head lulling onto Ruby's shoulder as the sun sank beneath the ruins.

"She was the first person we thought we could trust, and she lied to us." Sapphire said quietly.

"I know."

Sapphire gave a tired huff of laughter, and somehow managed a smile.

"I guess the only people we can really trust are each other, huh?"

"And Steven." Ruby said automatically.

" _Steven!"_ Ruby jumped as Sapphire shot upright and clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh my stars! Steven is a diamond!"

"Yeah." Ruby suddenly felt nauseous. "I guess he is."

"He must be so confused." Sapphire pressed her hands over her eye. "And we unfused, and fought, and I ran away. Right in front of him. Right after he found out that Rose-"

Ruby couldn't help but smile as Sapphire flopped backwards.

"It's _okay_."

Sapphire made a noise that was somewhere near an annoyed laugh.

"How are you so _calm_?"

Ruby snorted.

"Now you know how I felt after the Pearl debacle." Sapphire swatted at her, and she managed a little laugh. "I've already figured it out."

"Yeah?"

Ruby nodded.

"Steven is all that's left of Rose." She said softly. "And Steven loves the Earth, and the Crystal Gems, and us."

' _Garnet.'_ Ruby added silently.

She smiled, warm and real.

"Which means that none of that was a lie."

Sapphire kissed her, and she forgot that Rose Quartz had ever existed.

"I love you." Sapphire smiled softly as she pressed her forehead to Ruby's. "I shouldn't have said-" She closed her eye, and Ruby squeezed her hands. "I don't care if Rose did lie to us about fusion. I love you and I don't regret one second we've spent together as Garnet."

Sapphire's breath hitched as Ruby kissed her, and there was _warmth and love and light-_

Garnet smiled.

"Neither do I."


	2. Truths

After Ruby left to find Sapphire, and Pearl snuck back into the temple, Steven was left alone with Amethyst. The two of them sat on the couch in a dazed sort of silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Well, Steven was lost in his own worries.

Garnet (or Sapphire) was obviously very upset about recent... revelations. Pearl was a little harder to read, because she had _wanted_ Steven to know the truth, but once the truth was out she had been very quiet, and then she had left. And Amethyst had seemed surprised, but Steven honestly had no idea what she was thinking.

He guessed that it couldn't hurt to ask.

"So…" Steven scratched the back of his neck. "How are you holding up?"

"Me?" Amethyst squawked. "I'm not the one who just found out I'm a diamond!" She grimaced as Steven turned green. "Sorry, dude."

"It's okay." Steven said weakly. "But you're not upset? You don't feel betrayed, or lied to? Aren't questioning your very existence?"

Amethyst frowned.

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

Amethyst shrugged.

"I am too."

Steven looked skeptical. Amethyst sighed.

"Look, maybe it's just because I'm not one of the 'original' Crystal Gems who decided to give up everything and go to war for Rose, but I knew that she kept secrets. I always knew there were things she didn't tell us, and I knew that she was important, so some of the things she wasn't telling us had to be important, too." Her hand flew to her gem. "Don't get me wrong- I'm still, like, _shocked_. I mean, I know that _this_ was a pretty huge secret. But I'm not _angry_ or anything."

Steven smiled, and drooped with relief.

"Good."

Amethyst crossed her arms and examined the floor.

"It… actually makes me feel a little bit better about myself." She said quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She scuffed at the floor. "I don't understand the diamonds as well as Pearl or Garnet," Steven gave a guilty frown as he glanced toward the warp pad. "But they're, like, all powerful, right? Leaders of Homeworld? They can do whatever they want." Amethyst smiled. "And Rose decided to save the Earth." Steven blinked. "Peridot said that the diamonds were flawless beings. And I know it's not true, but… Rose was pretty near flawless in my eyes." Amethyst smiled timidly up at Steven. "Which means that someone _that_ close to perfect saw perfection in someone so… far from it." Her voice turned softer as she looked down at her hands. "Even though Rose was so powerful and perfect, and could've done whatever she wanted, she decided to save _me_. Someone who's… defective. She decided to spend her _life_ protecting gems like me. She gave up everything to protect us. The defects, and the fusions, and the... Stevens."

Amethyst gave a weak smile, which Steven mirrored.

"The off colors." He said fondly.

Amethyst nodded.

"The Crystal Gems." She gave a little huff of laughter. "She used to tell us all the time that we were perfect. Maybe she thought we were perfect because we _weren't_." Amethyst sounded more serious, now, though she was still smiling. "Rose loved us so much, Steven. If she kept anything from us it was to protect us." She shrugged. "This just means she loved us even more."

"That's… nice." Steven said softly. "I'm glad to hear that." He bit his lip as he looked back at the warp pad. "Do you think the others will be okay?"

Amethyst gave an easy smile.

"I've never known Garnet to be split up for more than an hour. They'll be fine." She frowned as she looked at the temple door. "...It couldn't hurt to check on Pearl, though."

"Okay."

Steven hopped down from the couch, and wondered whether or not the temple would let him in.

"And Steven?" Amethyst said.

He turned back around.

"Yes?"

"If you ever need to talk to someone about all of this, I'd be happy to listen." She smiled apologetically. "I know I'd be pretty shell shocked if I found out that I was a diamond."

Steven gave a dazed little laugh.

"You have no idea."


	3. Silence

Steven frowned at the door to the temple.

He could probably get it open if he tried hard enough, but he wanted to talk to Pearl. So even if he did get the door open, he would have to go into his room, and then make his way through the temple to get to Pearl's. Which sounded like a lot of work.

Maybe texting her would be easier.

'Pearl, can you please let me into your room?'

Steven fidgeted as he waited for a response. There was no answer on screen, but after a few minutes the door in front of him began to glow, and then opened. Steven stepped inside.

Pearl's room was essentially a giant fountain. The floor was a pool of water, contained by a kind of basin on all sides. Pillars of water stood throughout, and ribbons of water flowed overhead.

Steven took a moment to take in his surroundings, and appreciate the calming effect of the water. The movement of it was graceful as it flowed around him, and the sound of it was soothing as it lapped at the stone at his feet.

When Steven finally looked up, he noticed Pearl standing atop the tallest fountain in the center of the room.

"Pearl?" He called.

"Steven," Pearl easily leapt down to the stone on which he stood. She gave him a smile but something about it seemed strained. "I'm sorry for running off. You must have so many questions."

"No." Steven said. "I don't want to talk about Mom." He suddenly felt timid as his eyes met hers. "I want to talk about you."

"Me?" Pearl's expression turned to something between a frown and a tired smile. "What about me?"

"Do other gems have to obey the diamonds?"

"I-" Pearl's hands started for her mouth, then stopped. "Yes?" She asked. "If given a direct order, yes."

Steven frowned down at his hands, and looked up at her nervously.

"Does this mean… I'm Pink Diamond?" He asked softly.

Pearl gave a smile that was somehow proud and heartbroken.

"Just as much as you are Rose Quartz."

Steven gave a smile that was half wince.

"So... I can give you orders?"

"Steven!"

Pearl crossed her arms, embarrassed and insulted.

"Yes or no?" Steven asked.

Pearl sighed.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean-"

Steven held up his hands in surrender, cutting her off as gently as possible.

"I want to give you an order." He said quietly. "Just one. My last one."

Pearl gave an annoyed huff of laughter, which came out much more sad than annoyed.

"That's what you said last time."

"I know." He said softly. "Pearl, I'm so sorry." Steven drooped with guilt. "She shouldn't have done that to you."

Pearl shook her head, and managed a sad smile.

"Rose didn't order me to shatter Pink Diamond."

"But she ordered you not to tell anyone." Steven whined. "You've kept this terrible secret bottled up for thousands of years. You didn't deserve that. You came here to be free." Pearl's hands once again covered her mouth, and Steven covered them with his. "So, I want to give you one last order, as your diamond." As gently as possible, Steven peeled Pearl's hands away from her mouth. "I want you to be free." Pearl gaped at him through tears, and he smiled at her through his. "You're free to say whatever you want to say. Free to do whatever you want to do. And… any other orders that 'Pink Diamond,' or Rose Quartz, or anyone else has given you in the past- you don't have to follow them anymore if you don't want to." Steven laughed weakly. "You don't even have to follow this one if you don't want to."

Pearl choked out a laugh, still crying. Steven gave a surprised little laugh as she pulled him into a hug, and held him there.

"Steven," Pearl couldn't find the words, now for a very different reason. "Thank you."


End file.
